Undoubtedly, for many of you this situation will be familiar: the reflection you see in the mirror is not at all like the image you see in your own photos. What is the reason? Is it really the camera that changes your appearance like that? Or should the mirror be blamed for everything?
Today we will try to find answers to these questions: what is closer to your real appearance - reflection or photographs? And why do we often perceive reflections in the mirror and photographs differently? 
Psychological aspect
Most often, we look in the mirror at home, in an environment where we feel free and most relaxed. As for the photos, most of the time we take them outside of this cozy environment, surrounded by other people, which means we feel more stressed and unprepared. 
Therefore, looking in the mirror before leaving for a party, you will note that you like your own reflection. But the next day, checking the photo, you notice that everything was not so good. 
Viewing angle
Another reason for the difference in appearance is that people's faces are not symmetrical. And this is true for absolutely everyone, only for some these differences are noticeably greater, for others less. This is where all the confusion lies. Every morning when we look in the mirror, we are standing in the same place, which means we see ourselves from the usual point of view. 
As a result, we get used to seeing our face from a certain angle. But when it comes to photos, you can't always control how, when, and from which side the picture is taken. Unless, of course, you are a star who knows his the best sides and always takes a photo from only one angle, like, for example, Audrey Hepburn. 
white balance
Each type of lighting has its own temperature. But in most cases, when we look in the mirror, we cannot see this difference. This is because our brain - a kind of "supercomputer" - automatically smoothes out all the differences and "shows" us the complexion to which we are accustomed. 
On the other hand, the photo always shows real lighting, with all the offsets and differences in temperature. Looking in the mirror, even if the lighting comes from various sources and many colors and shadows are visible on your face, you still see your usual reflection, while photography makes you see yourself from the side and in the light that you actually have.
Attention to individual objects
We should not forget that when we look in the mirror, we usually focus on some specific part of our reflection and therefore do not see the big picture. But when we look at photographs, we perceive everything holistically and notice things that we previously did not pay attention to (for example, poor posture, awkwardly placed hands, etc.). 
Mirror reflection
In reflection, we always see a "mirror" version of ourselves, and this ultimately shapes our perception of how we look. Photographs, on the other hand, show us how others see us, and this is an unusual perspective that can lead to surprises. 
From all of the above, we can conclude that only photographs give you objective information about your own appearance. But even if you don't always look good in photos, that's no reason to despair! Perhaps you were photographed at the wrong moment, or you simply did not have time to suck in your stomach.
Since ancient times, mirrors have been attributed magical properties; many legends and superstitions are associated with them. Even in our pragmatic times, when mirrors are used for selfies, the question still remains: are they lying? We'll figure out.
OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MIRRORS AND HUMAN PERCEPTIONS
To clarify the issue of the veracity of mirrors, you need to remember the lessons of history, physics and anatomy. The reflective effect of modern mirrors is based on the properties of glass coated with a special layer of metal. In ancient times, when the method of obtaining glass was not yet discovered, plates of precious metals, most often round in shape, were used as mirrors.
To increase the reflective ability, the metal discs were subjected to additional processing - grinding.
Glass mirrors appeared only in the 13th century; the Romans learned how to make them by breaking into pieces vessels with a frozen layer of tin inside. Sheet mirrors based on an alloy of tin and mercury began to be made 300 years later.
Many people call the reflective part of the mirror an amalgam in the old fashioned way, although in modern production aluminum or silver (0.15–0.3 microns thick) is used, covered with several protective layers.
HOW TO CHOOSE A "TRUE" MIRROR?
The reflective properties of modern mirrors depend not only on the type of amalgam, but also on the evenness of the surface and the “purity” (transparency) of the glass. Rays of light are sensitive even to irregularities that are not visible to the human eye.
Any glass defects that occur during its manufacture, and the structure of the reflective layer (waviness, porosity and other defects) affect the "truthfulness" of the future mirror.
The degree of permissible distortion is displayed by the marking of the mirrors, it is divided into 9 classes - from M0 to M8. The number of flaws in the mirror coating depends on the method of manufacturing the mirror.
The most accurate mirrors - class M0 and M1 are produced by the Float method. Hot glass melt is poured onto the surface of hot metal, where it is evenly distributed and cooled. This method of casting allows you to get the most thin and even glass.
Classes M2-M4 are made according to a less advanced technique - Furko. The hot glass strip is pulled out of the oven, passed between rollers, and cooled. In this case, the final product has a surface with bulges that cause reflection distortion.
The ideal mirror M0 is rare, usually the most “truthful” one is M1. Marking M4 indicates a slight curvature, you can buy mirrors of the next classes only for the equipment of the laughter room.
Experts consider silver-plated mirrors made in Russia to be the most accurate. Silver has a higher reflectivity, and domestic manufacturers do not use markings higher than M1. But in Chinese-made products, we buy M4 mirrors, which cannot be accurate by definition. We must not forget about the light - the most realistic reflection provides a bright uniform illumination of the object.
MY LIGHT, MIRROR, SAY...
Everyone in childhood visited the so-called fun room or watched a fairy tale about the Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors, so no one needs to explain how the reflection changes on a convex or concave surface.
The effect of curvature is also present in smooth, but very large mirrors (with a side of? 1 m). This is due to the fact that their surface is deformed under its own weight, so large mirrors are made from sheets with a thickness of at least 8 mm.
But the ideal quality of a mirror is not a guarantee of its “truthfulness” for an individual. The fact is that even having an impeccably smooth mirror, which very accurately reflects external objects, a person will perceive the reflection with defects due to his individual characteristics.
What we are accustomed to consider as our reflection, in reality, is not it - it is just a visual projection, which manifests itself in the subcortex of the brain, thanks to the work complex system human perception.
In fact, perception largely depends on the function of the organs of vision (the eye of a person who looks in the mirror) and the work of the brain, which transforms incoming signals into an image. How else can one explain the visual dependence of reflection distortion on the shape of the mirror?! After all, everyone knows that elongated (rectangular and oval) mirrors make you slim, while square and round mirrors visually make you look fat. This is how the psychology of perception of the human brain works, which analyzes incoming information, tying it to familiar objects and forms.
MIRROR AND PHOTO - WHAT IS TRUE?
Another strange fact is known: many people notice striking differences between their reflection in the mirror and their own image, which they see in the photo. This is especially worrying for the fair sex, who, according to the old Russian tradition, want to know only one thing: “Am I the most beautiful in the world?”.
The phenomenon when a person does not recognize himself in a photograph is quite common, because in his inner world he or she sees himself differently - and largely thanks to the mirror. This paradox has given rise to hundreds of scientific research. If all scientific conclusions are translated into simple language, then such differences are explained by the peculiarities of the optical device of the two systems - the camera lens and the human organs of vision.
1) The principle of operation of the receptors of the eyeball is not at all the same as that of glass optics: the camera lens differs from the structure of the lens of the eye, and it can also be deformed due to eye fatigue, age-related changes, etc.
2) The reality of the image is affected by the number of points of perception of the object and their location. The camera has only one lens, so the image is flat. The organs of vision in humans and the lobes of the brain that capture the image are paired, so we perceive the reflection in the mirror as three-dimensional (three-dimensional).
3) The reliability of fixing the image depends on the lighting. Photographers often use this feature to create an interesting image in the photo, which is very different from the real model. Looking at themselves in the mirror, people usually do not change the lighting in the same way as a camera flash or spotlights do.
4) Another important aspect is the distance. People are used to looking in the mirror up close, while they are photographed more often from afar.
5) In addition, the time required for the camera to take a picture is negligible, there is even a special term in photography - shutter speed. The photo lens captures a fraction of a second, capturing a facial expression that is sometimes elusive to the eye.
As you can see, each system has its own characteristics that affect the image distortion. Given these nuances, we can say that the photo more accurately captures our image, but only for a moment. The human brain perceives the image in a wider spectrum. And it's not just the volume, but also the non-verbal signals that people send all the time. Therefore, from the point of view of the perception of us by the people around us, the reflection in the mirror is more truthful.
Most likely, today there is not a single house where there would not be a mirror. It has become such an integral part of our lives that it is difficult for a person to do without it. What is this object, how does it reflect the image? And if you put two mirrors opposite each other? This amazing item has become central to many fairy tales. There are enough signs about him. And what does science say about the mirror?
A bit of history
Modern mirrors are mostly coated glass. As a coating, a thin metallic layer is applied to the reverse side of the glass. Literally a thousand years ago, mirrors were carefully polished copper or bronze disks. But not everyone could afford a mirror. It cost a lot of money. Therefore, poor people were forced to look at their A mirrors, which show a person in full height- this is generally a relatively young invention. He is approximately 400 years old.
The mirror of people was all the more surprised when they could see the reflection of the mirror in the mirror - it generally seemed to them something magical. After all, the image is not the truth, but a certain reflection of it, a kind of illusion. It turns out that we can simultaneously see the truth and the illusion. It is not surprising that people attributed many magical properties to this item and were even afraid of it.
The very first mirrors were made of platinum (surprisingly, this metal was once not valued at all), gold or tin. Scientists have discovered mirrors made back in the Bronze Age. But the mirror that we can see today began its history after they were able to master the technology of glass blowing in Europe.
scientific view
From the point of view of the science of physics, the reflection of a mirror in a mirror is a multiplied effect of the same reflection. The more such mirrors installed opposite each other, the greater the illusion of fullness with the same image arises. This effect is often used in amusement rides. For example, in the Disney park there is a so-called endless hall. There, two mirrors were installed opposite each other, and this effect was repeated many more times.
The resulting mirror-in-mirror reflection, multiplied a relatively infinite number of times, has become one of the most popular rides. Such attractions have long entered the entertainment industry. At the beginning of the 20th century, an attraction called the Palace of Illusions appeared at an international exhibition in Paris. He enjoyed great popularity. The principle of its creation is the reflection of mirrors in mirrors installed in a row, the size of a full human height, in a huge pavilion. People had the impression that they were in a huge crowd.
Law of reflection
The principle of operation of any mirror is based on the law of propagation and reflection in space. This law is the main one in optics: it will be the same (equal) to the angle of reflection. It's like a falling ball. If it is thrown vertically downwards towards the floor, it will also bounce vertically upwards. If thrown at an angle, it will rebound at an angle equal to the angle of incidence. Rays of light from a surface are reflected in the same way. Moreover, the smoother and smoother this surface, the more ideally this law works. Reflection in a flat mirror works according to this law, and the more ideal its surface, the better the reflection.
But if we are dealing with matte or rough surfaces, then the rays are scattered randomly.
Mirrors can reflect light. What we see, all reflected objects, is due to rays that are similar to those of the sun. If there is no light, then nothing can be seen in the mirror. If you fall on an object or any creature light rays, they are reflected and carry information about the object with them. Thus, the reflection of a person in a mirror is an idea of an object formed on the retina of his eye and transmitted to the brain with all its characteristics (color, size, distance, etc.).
Types of mirror surfaces
Mirrors are flat and spherical, which, in turn, can be concave and convex. Today there are already smart mirrors: a kind of media carrier designed to demonstrate the target audience. The principle of its operation is as follows: when a person approaches, the mirror seems to come to life and starts to show the video. And this video was not chosen by chance. A system is built into the mirror that recognizes and processes the resulting image of a person. She quickly determines his gender, age, emotional mood. Thus, the system in the mirror selects a demo that can potentially interest a person. It works 85 times out of 100! But scientists do not stop there and want to achieve an accuracy of 98%.
Spherical mirror surfaces
What is the basis of the work of a spherical mirror, or, as they also call it, a curved one - a mirror with convex and concave surfaces? Such mirrors differ from ordinary mirrors in that they distort the image. Convex mirror surfaces make it possible to see more objects than flat ones. But at the same time, all these objects seem smaller in size. Such mirrors are installed in cars. Then the driver has the opportunity to see the image both on the left and on the right.
A concave curved mirror focuses the resulting image. In this case, you can see the reflected object as detailed as possible. A simple example: these mirrors are often used in shaving and in medicine. The image of an object in such mirrors is assembled from images of many different and separate points of this object. To build an image of any object in a concave mirror, it will be enough to build an image of its extreme two points. Images of other points will be located between them.
Translucency
There is another type of mirrors that have translucent surfaces. They are arranged in such a way that one side is like an ordinary mirror, and the other is half transparent. From this, transparent side, you can observe the view behind the mirror, and from the normal side, nothing is visible except the reflection. Such mirrors can often be seen in crime films, when the police are investigating and interrogating the suspect, and on the other hand they are watching him or bringing witnesses for identification, but so that they are not visible.
The myth of infinity
There is a belief that by creating a mirror corridor, you can achieve infinity of the light beam in the mirrors. Superstitious people who believe in divination often use this ritual. But science has long proven that this is impossible. Interestingly, a mirror is never 100% complete. This requires a perfect, 100% smooth surface. And it can be about 98-99% so. There are always some errors. Therefore, girls who tell fortunes in such mirrored corridors by candlelight risk, at most, simply entering into a certain psychological condition which may adversely affect them.
If you put two mirrors opposite each other, and light a candle between them, you will see many lights lined up in one row. Q: How many lights can you count? At first glance, this is an infinite number. After all, there seems to be no end to this series. But if we carry out certain mathematical calculations, we will see that even with mirrors that have 99% reflection, after about 70 cycles, the light will become half as weak. After 140 reflections, it will weaken by a factor of two. Each time, the rays of light dim and change color. Thus, the moment will come when the light will go out altogether.
So is infinity possible?
Infinite reflection of a beam from a mirror is possible only with absolutely ideal mirrors placed strictly parallel. But is it possible to achieve such absoluteness when nothing in the material world is absolute and ideal? If this is possible, then only from the point of view of religious consciousness, where absolute perfection is God, the Creator of everything omnipresent.
Due to the lack of an ideal surface of the mirrors and their perfect parallelism to each other, a series of reflections will undergo bending, and the image will disappear, as if around a corner. If we also take into account the fact that a person looking at when there are two mirrors, and he is also a candle between them, will also not stand strictly parallel, then the visible row of candles will disappear behind the frame of the mirror rather quickly.
Multiple Reflection
At school, students learn to build images of an object using the law of reflection of light in a mirror, an object and its mirror image are symmetrical. Studying the construction of images using a system of two or more mirrors, students get the effect of multiple reflection as a result.
If we add a second one located at right angles to the first one to a single flat mirror, then not two reflections in the mirror will appear, but three (they are usually designated S1, S2 and S3). The rule works: the image that appears in one mirror is reflected in the second, then this first is reflected in another, and again. The new one, S2, will be reflected in the first one, creating a third image. All reflections will match.
Symmetry
The question arises: why are reflections in a mirror symmetrical? The answer is given by geometric science, and in close connection with psychology. What is up and down for us is reversed for the mirror. The mirror, as it were, turns inside out what is in front of it. But surprisingly, in the end, the floor, walls, ceiling and everything else in the reflection look the same as in reality.
How does a person perceive a reflection in a mirror?
Man sees through light. Its quanta (photons) have the properties of waves and particles. Based on the theory of primary and secondary light sources, photons of a beam of light, falling on an opaque object, are absorbed by atoms on its surface. Excited atoms immediately return the energy they have absorbed. Secondary photons are emitted uniformly in all directions. Rough and matte surfaces give a diffuse reflection.
If this is the surface of a mirror (or similar), then the light-emitting particles are ordered, the light exhibits wave characteristics. The secondary waves cancel out in all directions, in addition to being subject to the law that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Photons, as it were, rebound elastically from the mirror. Their trajectories start from objects, as if located behind him. It is them that the human eye sees when looking in the mirror. The world behind the mirror is different from the real one. To read the text there, you need to start from right to left, and the clock hands go in the opposite direction. Double in the mirror raises left hand when the person standing in front of the mirror is right.
Reflections in the mirror will be different for people looking at it at the same time, but at different distances and in different positions.
by the most best mirrors in ancient times, those that were made of carefully polished silver were considered. Today, a layer of metal is applied to the back of the glass. It is protected from damage by several layers of paint. Instead of silver, to save money, a layer of aluminum is often applied (reflection coefficient is approximately 90%). Human eyes practically do not notice the difference between silver coating and aluminum.
I can say about photography - it can both reflect you as truthfully as possible, and change you beyond recognition. A good photographer takes full advantage of the light, filters, optics, pose, angle, framing and processing to make sure you look great in your photo. More beautiful than ordinary life. A bad photographer will snap you under the wrong conditions, and the same light, pose, angle, optics, and framing will make you look a lot worse than you normally are.
And then who will take a picture of you truthfully? Are you yourself? No, wrong answer. The way we take pictures of ourselves, no one else sees or perceives us except us. Just like in a mirror, we see ourselves only eye-to-eye and with a special facial expression. Other people see us without special expressions and from all sides.
Well, who then? The one who photographed not you. Or you, but you didn't know about it. It should be natural, reportage photography, not staged. Lighting - natural, best of all sunny (but not too bright), angle - from eye level (how other people see you), relaxed posture, but not during active actions (for example, you are sitting or talking).
If you're not a photographer, how do you know if you're in the photo "as is" or if the conditions have changed your image too much? The easiest way is if the photo is a group one (not posed, or at least posed). Look at the rest of the members. Do they look like themselves? Don't they all look a little worse than usual? A little better? Do they have the same skin color? The same faces? If everyone else is fine, then you are probably fine too.
Pay attention to whether you were moving at the time of taking the photo. Motion frozen in a photo almost always looks weird. In rare cases, they look cool, but in any of the options, in reality, no one saw this strange facial expression and pose, they flashed in a split second.
Pay attention to the shadows (light). Shadows that are too dark, the light source is too close, its location exactly on top / exactly on the side / exactly in front give an implausible look. If you see failed dark eye sockets or something like that, then this is not you, this is the wrong light. If you see a spot of light on your forehead - keep in mind, this makes your face flatter and also not so believable.
In general, people see us in motion. So, probably, the video will be closest to the truth. The recommendations are the same - natural soft light, no posing and posing, shooting from eye level, do not forget to move away from the subject so that there are no distortions, use high-quality equipment (a cheap phone will not work if there is nothing like a camera, take at least an expensive one telephone)
A photographic portrait from a reflection in a mirror, then you can listen to a whole lecture on angles, image refraction, lighting, etc. But perhaps the reason for this difference is deeper, since both photography and reflection show not only the appearance of a person, but also his psychological state at the moment.
Why reflection is different from photography
A live image is always different from a photograph. Many muscles are responsible for facial expressions, and it changes every second. What is a mirror? It is essentially a one-man theatre. Approaching the mirror, a person already knows what kind of image he wants to see there. Willingly or unwittingly, he adjusts his face in advance to the desired expression. Random reflection can be worse than any photograph - it is worth remembering this when passing by mirrored windows.
In addition, in the mirror a person sees himself continuously, as well as all fleeting, elusive changes. If something is wrong with the face, then the brain instantly instructs the muscles to change position in accordance with the desired image.
Photography, on the other hand, captures one moment from life, and here everything depends on the expression at that very moment. In addition, not all photographs are unsuccessful - a portrait made by a professional master can far exceed the beauty of a living person. And a random shot at the wrong moment can ruin the most winning appearance.
What is worth believing - a reflection or a photograph
But what a person really is depends on who looks at him and with what eyes. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" should not be forgotten. You need to focus on the mirror - because others see people in continuous movement. The photograph is the least representative of the real state of affairs.
In front of the mirror, you should choose the expression that best suits the person, and wear this face all the time. A photograph can indicate those appearance flaws that should be eliminated.
But the main thing is that both a mirror and a photograph teach a person the same thing, namely, a look at oneself from the outside. If a person looks at himself with a loving look, accepting any of his images, he begins to like others. What spoils a person most of all is an attempt to hide himself, the habit of shrinking, sending a signal into space: “Yes, I look bad, I don’t have a single decent photo, I’m scared of myself in the mirror, don’t look at me, I don’t love myself” .
Whether standing in front of a mirror, posing for a photographer, showing yourself to others, you should remember that the main decoration of a person is a positive look at the environment and himself. Then your own reflection or image will always delight you.
